Plants that emerge from the soil within only hours of each other tend to produce crops that are uniform sizes and weights.

Late emerging plants – even if the lag time is only a few days – can result in a drastic reduction in crop yields by the end of the year, particularly with corn.

Below, we are offering tips for ensuring uniform plant emergence in no till farming.

Ensure That The Seed Furrows Are Deep Enough
While deeper planting can delay plant emergence, it can also ensure that the plants will emerge more uniformly than if the seeds were planted in shallow furrows. Add our UniForce hydraulic down-pressure system to a John Deere drill, and you’ll get uniform pressure on every single opener, through its full stroke. This add-on piece of equipment, which we introduced in 2016, has been a game changer. The UniForce lessens sidewall compaction (allowing for more uniform root growth) and delivers consistent seed furrow depth across a variety of soil conditions and varying terrain.

Control the Seed Placement
In addition to the UniForce, seed firmers, such as Keetons, help place seeds more uniformly.

Add our Mojo Wire stiffener to a Keeton seed firmer, and you will get up to 5 times the pressure, where it’s needed the most – at the bottom of the furrow.

We’ve also designed a heavy-duty seed bounce flap, with a unique, 20-degree forward bend, that helps put more seeds in the bottom of the seed furrow. Our Ninja seed bounce flaps are both durable and flexible.

Please note that the information on this website is for general informational and educational purposes only. Actual results for all of the products and techniques described on this website will vary because of climate, crops, equipment, and diversity of soils.

U.S. patents are pending on the Ninja Seed Bounce Flap and UniForce. U.S. Patent No. 6,907,833 for the Thompson Wheel. U.S. Patent No. 8,978,564 for the Valion Seed Tube Guards. The following are trademarks owned by Exapta Solutions, Inc: Exapta, Thompson Wheel, Valion Guard, Ninja Flap, DuraLok. Keeton is a trademark of Precision Planting.